By Nabilu Balarabe
The Yobe Ministry of Women Affairs, in collaboration with the UN Population Fund in Nigeria (UNFPA Nigeria)
trained 60 adolescent girls in various trades in Yobe.
Speaking during the graduation ceremony of the girls in Damaturu on Thursday, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Mohammad Abdullahi,
said the adolescents are less-privileged survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
Represented by Hajiya Salamatu Nengere, the Director, Women Affairs in the ministry, Abdullahi said the essence of the training was to make the girls
productive and self-reliant.
He commended the UNFPA for the numerous support it had been rendering toward the development of the state, describing the organisation as “a strategic partner.”
He added that “UNFPA has been supporting us for about 10 years. Even this building which we call Dignity Centre was provided by the organisation when
cases of GBV increased and we needed where to keep survivors.”
A Facilitator with UNFPA, Musa Mohammed, said GBV could sometimes be perpetrated by influential persons who many might not suspect in the society.
He noted that GBV was not only about rape, it also included child abuse, forced marriage, denial of right to education, among others.
Mohammed said GBV could be tackled through empowering women, poverty alleviation and eradicating child abuse.
Mrs Hajara Galadima, the Head of Skills Acquisition at the centre, said the three-months programme started in October.
She listed the trades to include tailoring, cosmetology, as well as soap, shampoo and germicidal disinfectant making, adding that starter packs would be given to the beneficiaries.
Galadima said she would be visiting the beneficiaries fortnightly to monitor productivity.
A beneficiary, Halima Ali, who learnt tailoring, said she planned to open a shop to start practicing the trade immediately after graduation.
Maryam Machina, who learnt liquid soap making, thanked UNFPA and the ministry for the training and the stipend given to the them to
start their own businesses.(NAN)
